Millions of articles on online learning can be found if you start scratching the web, but less is discussed on the key skills that is required to complete online courses. Educators have the notion that self-motivation is the core engine that drives the learners to their success.

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Technology undoubtedly has its effects on almost every aspect of life including economy, education and overall growth of a nation. And with the intuitive touch of technology education has become more available ever than before. If you are having family responsibilities or a working student finding hard to manage time to go back to traditional schools to learn – online learning might be your smartest answer.

Why Online Learning Is Creating a Buzz.

Let’s get back to a decade ago when students are taught in a brick-and-mortar school with teachers standing in front of students and students sitting in front of a huge blackboard. The only thing students are allowed to do is listening to the lectures and taking notes. Online learning, on the other hand, is delivered through internet over the smart-phone.

To put it simply, online learning is easing up the process of learning to those who wish to learn further to upgrade their academic career or add a zing in their professional career. But the most frequent question I am asked, whenever I take part in the discussion regarding the advancement of eLearning, is “what is the key skill to continue study online?”

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It’s definitely self-motivation. Unlike traditional learning eLearning doesn’t bound the students with the specific time span. Online learning is a self-directed mode of learning where students are empowered with decision-making right, the right to chose what to read and when to read. A student has to have enough motivation in him to complete his lessons. And this motivation eventually results in making the students more responsible. This is the reason online degrees are gaining its value to the employers al over the world. When asked about the outcome of online learning, Rick Levin, former President of Yale University, says,

“Online courses are rapidly growing in reputation, and are being acknowledged as important and legitimate qualifications to help boost career progression. They provide accessible education across geographic boundaries and time zones, without compromising on teaching quality and credential recognition.”

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In online learning, instructors are not going to push around the learners to learn. So there are chances that students would fail to complete their online courses. To avoid this, one has to keep in mind some strategies like – keeping the end goal in mind, setting a schedule to login on a regular basis, creating a calendar for assignment due dates and joining discussion boards. It is important to keep in mind that online learning may give a fair amount of space and flexibility to the students but to leverage the opportunity one needs to acclimatise himself in this mode of learning.